The Twelve Sub-Laws of Karma
The Twelve Sub-Laws of Karma
Karma, or the law of action, is part of the scope of the superior laws of The Universe. It is not punishment, as most believe, but awareness and expansion of consciousness that manifests in our lives through direct experience. Karma is a collection of lessons we came to learn in this lifetime. As a superior law, karma has 12 sub-laws that may facilitate the understanding of such a complex concept.
“… Now Karma is the great law of nature, with all that that implies. As we can move in the physical universe with security, knowing its laws, so may we move in the mental and moral universes with security also, as we learn their laws. The majority of people, about their mental and moral defects, are much in the position of a man who should decline to walk upstairs because of the law of gravitation. They sit down helplessly and say: “That is my nature. I cannot help it.” True, it is the man’s nature, as he has made it in the past, and it is “his karma.” But by knowledge of karma, he can change his nature, making it another tomorrow than it is today. He is not in the grip of an inevitable destiny, imposed upon him from outside; he is in a world of law, full of natural forces which he can utilize to bring about the state of things which he desires. Knowledge and will – that is what he needs ...”
~ A Study in Karma by Annie Besant
1 - The Great Law: We harvest what we plant. It is the aspect of cause and effect. Many religions acknowledge this aspect of Karma through the practice of the Golden Rule. Do unto others what you wish to be done unto you.
2 - Law of Creation: Life does not just happen - it requires our participation and interaction. We are intimately connected to The Universe both inside, and outside of ourselves. Everything that happens outside of you has an origin in your internal world. We must make happen inside, what we desire to manifest outside.
3 - Law of Humility: Whatever we refuse to accept will continue to exist in our reality. The world will always continue to reflect our internal realities, much like a mirror image of ourselves.
4 - The Law of Growth: Wherever we go, there we will be. To grow in Spirit, we must be willing to change ourselves, not the people around us. When we change inside, the reality changes on the outside. The eye of the observer changes the reality of that which is observed.
5 - Law of Responsibility: Every time there is something wrong outside, there is something out of alignment inside of us. We need to take responsibility for the intensity of our feelings and the way we react, instead of just acting. Mastership of our actions and emotions can greatly improve our internal and external condition to live in peace.
6 - Law of Connection: Even when something comes to manifest in our world that seems to be disconnected with our reality, we must understand that everything in The Universe is connected. Each stage of life is directly connected to the next stage. The Past, present, and future are all one when we are expressing our internal world through correct action.
7 - Law of Focus: We can’t focus in two different realities at the same time. This is described in the Christian Bible where it says that a person cannot serve two masters. When our focus is to improve ourselves spiritually, we can’t cultivate habits, thoughts, and feelings that are not in the same vibrational frequency of the intended level we are determined to reach.
8 - The Law of Giving: If we believe something is truthful and benevolent, we will be called to be examples of that truth. This is the equivalent of saying that a person must “walk their talk.” Teaching by example, and giving honest testimony of our truth is part of the scope of karmic and dharmic patterns.
9 - The Law of Now: When we concentrate on past actions, always reevaluating facts and circumstances, we are impeded from looking into our present reality with the clarity of purpose. Old systems of belief, old thought patterns, and old desires and dreams hamper new perspectives. You cannot expect to gather different results when you are continuously doing the same things. There is no future in the past!
10 - Law of Change: Impermanence is a valuable concept. Nothing stays the same. Nevertheless, history will repeat itself until a karmic lesson is learned. Reality will change in its conceptual form when we assimilate the teaching and amplify our consciousness and understandings.
11 - Law of the Patient Reward: All rewards are the fruit of continual, constant work. Nothing manifests out of nothing in a material universe. Persistence, tolerance, and fortitude are vital when working toward the liberation of karma. Cultivating these qualities in ourselves is critical, indeed.
12 - Law of Meaning and Inspiration: The value of something in your life will be directly related to the amount of energy and intention applied to it. Each personal contribution to life is also a contribution to the collective. One loving inspiration not only adds meaning to individual existence but also contributes to the ascension and inspiration of the whole. We are ONE.
Therefore, karma is as eternal as the Universal Self. The interrelation of everything always is. It never begins; it never ceases to be.
“… The unreal has no being; the real never ceases to be. Nothing exists isolated, alone, or out of relation. Karma is the interrelation of all that exists. It is manifest during the manifestation of a universe, as regards that universe; it becomes latent in its dissolution ...”
~ A Study in Karma by Annie Besant
